Sacramento offers $50k grants to aspiring filmmakers to create community television content
SACRAMENTO — Sacramento's cable television commission is offering up to $50,000 in grants for people to produce new community television programming.
Shawn Ayala, executive director of the Sacramento Metropolitan Cable Television Commission, said it's an opportunity for underserved groups and people to have their voices heard by a wider audience.
"We're looking for any unique story, any underrepresented populations, any diverse populations, anybody that has something that may not necessarily play well in a mainstream media channel," Ayala said.
Bunny Stewart is a local TV producer at cable channel Access Sacramento and said the extra funding could help create a variety of new programming.
"This is such a target-rich environment," Stewart said. "Sacramento has so many awesome things to offer."
Access Sacramento broadcasts hundreds of hours of local content each year and helps train people to produce programming in its TV studio.
"In order to have a healthy community, we want to make sure that local stories get out there," said Donna Girot, executive director of Access Sacramento.
The videos will be broadcast on Sacramento's public education and government cable channels.
This is the first time these grants have been offered — cash for creativity, reaching far beyond the airwaves.
The application period ends November 15. Another round of grants will be offered in February.
The cable commission is also offering $2,500 scholarships for people to get TV production training.